The Silenced Voice
by SnowWhite213
Summary: A segue from the middle of the episode from April 2, 2007. Finally, Colby tells everyone exactly what she thinks of the situation.


"This isn't the way it's supposed to be. We're supposed to be a family! Don't any of you care?"

I walked out of the room, disgusted as usual, but I made the quick decision to eavesdrop from the hall and not to do the stereotypical teenage up-the-stairs-stomp.

Krystal made her heartbreakingly true, emotional monologue and fled almost instantly after I had, but she was too caught up in her hot tears to notice me as she passed.

And then there it was, a typical Adam Chandler manipulative retort that lit a fire in my chest, a searing pain that only he could cause.

"Did someone just say something? Because I didn't hear anything."

Suddenly, a different kind of heat filled my chest – unadulterated rage.

"You smug son of a bitch!" I screamed, tearing back into the room. Everyone looked up at me, their eyes glowing in shock.

"Colby–"

"No, Dad, I don't want to hear it! You know who just said something? I did! I asked if anyone cared that our family is falling apart, and you have just proven to me that without a doubt, you have no interest in saving the family that I would die to protect!"

He began to honestly look like he regretted the comment, but that wasn't enough.

"Don't you dare try to tell me that you're sorry or that you're doing what's right for me. The only person that Adam Chandler does right by is himself! Ever since we found out that Krystal lied and deceived us both, you've been all about feeling sorry for yourself and getting revenge. Did you ever once ask me how I feel? I don't even get a 'Colby, I'm so sorry that you have to be a part of this.'"

Unsurprisingly, no one jumped in to come to Dad's defense. Babe sat on the couch and put her head in her hands, completely overwhelmed and unprepared for another emotional crossfire.

"Babe, you should get out of this house and away from these people before your heart gives out. No one deserves a family like this, but someone who volunteers for it is just plain crazy."

JR looked ready to interject, to back me up about Dad and to divert my anger from Babe.

"JR, you can just swallow whatever garbage you're about to spit up at me. The best thing you can do for this family is to stop flip-flopping. You want to be a spiteful son of a bitch, go right ahead. You want to be a spineless, apologetic beggar, that's fine too! Either way, it's your prerogative. Could you just pick one and stick with it, though? At least Dad is consistent in his delusions."

Tad was generally mournful and guilty.

"I know you're hurt, Tad, and I'm sorry about Dixie. I barely knew her, but I hear she was a wonderful person. More than anything, I know how Krystal has deceived and hurt you. After everything that has happened with Kate, you deserve the happiness that a new daughter brings. But who is this behavior helping? A constant, escalating game of backsies with Dad and a dysfunctional relationship with the mother of your child before she's even born; yeah, that's a recipe for success if I've ever heard one."

And, my personal favorite, Josh, looked out of place and unconcerned.

"And you, Josh, you and my dad deserve each other. You both twist every situation you are in to fit your needs and say to hell with anyone who gets in the way. Babe is never going to be with you; if she wanted to, she would have left JR a long time ago. So go ahead and waste your time in this hellhole. As long as you're following Adam Chandler's lead, you're going to lose everyone who ever meant anything to you anyway."

I looked down at my hands, feeling very relieved and very empty. My voice dropped about an octave and a half and I could feel tears approaching, but I continued.

"I hope all of you are thinking very hard about your actions. Maybe if you just take a step back and look at what you're doing to one another and the horrible people you are all becoming, you'll finally come to your senses. The way you're all behaving is shaving years off your lives that you can never get back – years where you could be happy, and with the people you love. As for me, I want out of this ridiculous house immediately. In fact, I don't even care about maintaining this 'family.' I don't think it ever existed in the first place."

And with that, the Chandler mansion had the most deafening silence that it had seen in years.

-END-

**A/N: **Ever since Krystal told everyone the truth, I have been identifying with Colby and wishing that the writers would just have her let out all the steam that is building up inside of her. I know it's a soap, so all the focus is on the relationships, but the people get caught up the middle have feelings, too.

Also, I'm sorry if this is out of character, because I feel like Colby and I speak very differently. I feel like she is written like a ditz teenager with rocks in her head, and it kind of offends me, considering that we are supposed to be the same age.

Please R&R!


End file.
